The Favor
by SmithFan
Summary: Before departing to live with her mother and step-father, Triana asks a favor of the men of Conjectural Technologies.


Author Note: This one shot takes place after the events of the season four episode _The Better Man_, but before the scenes following the end credits. Spoilers for _The Better Man_ and the whole of Venture Brothers is fair game.

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Venture Brothers or any of the characters, story lines, and/or situations associated with thus far.**

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_Come on Triana. You can do this._

Standing outside of Billy Quizboy and Pete White's mobile home, Triana Orpheus hesitated before reminding herself why she was doing this. The Master had said that she had power, and that, if she moved in with her mother and began her training; she could hone that power and become a very powerful sorceress.

_It feels so right and exciting, but it means that I have to leave dad._

That thought made Triana frown. Her father and she may, at times, have a strained relationship, but she loved him. He comes on a little too strong sometimes and took the whole 'super hero' thing way too seriously, but he was a strong man. He worked hard and never let her want for anything. He accepted her mother's affair and eventual decision to leave them for the Outrider. Triana knew he could handle being on his own, but it did not stop the fear of him going overboard.

That was why she was here, working up the courage to knock on the silver door. She had never been close to either Dr. Venture's previous or current body guard, and felt that neither Venture twin was up to the job of watching her father. Dr. Venture and Dr. Orpheus may be 'sometimes' friends, but Triana knew the Dr. was too self involved to fulfill the job. His fellow Triad members might have been options, had she not got the feeling that their interests were too involved with her father's.

_Well_, she thought, _Jefferson wouldn't take advantage of the situation, but Al would see it as an excuse to get dad back into the dating scene._

Triana knew she was desperate and metaphorically grasping for straws, but they were her last option. Her _only_ option.

With that in mind, she knocked. Really, the worst they could do was say no.

* * *

"Damn it Billy," Pete White sighed, "Why are you still watching those 'Rusty Venture' cartoons? I mean, you found the clues and followed the crazy brick road all the way to being stuck in a sack by that Phantom Limb guy."

"You're just jealous that I got up close and personal with Guild action." Billy smiled and paused his favorite television program. "These guys were the real deal and I got to show off my Quizboy and medical skills."

"One, you're not a Doctor. And two, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you spend most of the time in a burlap sack? Being toted around by a decrepit two-headed guy taking orders from another guy whose idea of a team consisted of a shoe, a broken mug, and a toaster that he thought talked?"

"Well the mug wasn't always broken, but yes, if you put it like that." Billy conceded. "Why do you always have to rain on my parade?"

"I'm not trying to rain on your parade, Billy; I'm trying to blow up the floats." Pete grinned, "Wanna play some Playstation?"

"Sure, but no cheating."

"You've got a robotic hand; just consider it me evening the playing field. You set up; I'm going to grab something from the kitchen."

"Grab me something too. A soda and some chips, please."

"Yeah, yeah." Pete grumbled as he made his way to the kitchen. _A soda for Billy and a margarita for Pete_.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Hey Billy, would you get that?" _Knock. Knock._ "Billy!"

"I'm having. A little. Trouble." Billy breathed out as he wrestled with the Playstation cords. "You get it."

"Fine." _I wonder who it could be at this hour._ Checking his watch, Pete realized that it was only nine o'clock. _Geeze, when did I get old?_ He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he made his way to the door.

* * *

Billy Quizboy and Pete White. Pete White and Billy Quizboy. Neither seemed as involved with the costume lifestyle of super scientists and arching as the other people in her father's life.

_Neither seemed too involved with anything_. Triana smirked, but she wasn't about to dictate how grown adults lived their lives. Her father was a professional necromancer for peats sake. She wasn't about to judge. Lost in her thoughts, Triana didn't notice the door had opened until someone cleared their throat.

Blushing, Triana looked up.

_The albino one, so that would make him Pete White. There has to be some irony in that_.

"Hi Mr. White", Triana began, "I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Triana and I'm Dr. Orpheus' daughter." _You tried to hit on me during the Venture's Christmas party last year_, but Triana didn't mention that. _Better to not insult someone when asking for favors, and I'm pretty sure he was drunk anyway. Not that he's not sorta attractive in an older, would totally piss off my dad kind of way, but I don't think girls are his thing._

"Yeah, I remember you," he said, "Dean's girlfriend," he added as an afterthought. "How can I help you?"

"Can I come inside?" Triana started rubbing her arms, just noticing how cold it was getting outside.

"Sure," he moved out of the door way to allow her entrance, "I was just making margaritas. Want one?"

_Definatley gay._ Triana surmised as she closed the door. "Thank you…" she began before noticing Billy trying to detangle himself from what appeared to be Playstation cords.

"Would you like some help." she managed to get out while stifling a laugh.

"Triana. What brings you to our fine establishment this evening?" Billy lisped out while removing himself from the tangled mess. "Does your father or Dr. Venture require the assistance of Conjectural Technologies?"

"Actually, _I_ am in need of your assistance." Triana began noticing Pete carrying in a tray of what looked like strawberry margaritas. "I have come to ask you guys if you could do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Pete asked as he handed her a glass.

"Pete! What are you doing? She's only like sixteen. You can't serve her alcohol." Billy shouted at White. "Her dad would murder us and he's a necromancer. Death is kinda his specialty."

Triana just laughed. "Well, first off, I just turned eighteen, so you're not exactly supplying a minor. Secondly, my dad thinks that I'm spending the night at my friend Kim's house tonight so I could get completely smashed and he wouldn't know." Biting her lip for a moment, Triana continued, "My dad, however; is the reason I'm here."

"We're listening." Both men said as they made to sit on the couch and gestured for her to do the same.

"I am not sure if you're aware, but in another few days, I'll be leaving to stay with my mom," Triana began, "My dad says he's fine with it, but I just want to make sure that he doesn't do something dumb or fall into a slump. I know that I don't know you guys well enough to start asking for favors, but you are really the only ones that I know would do this for me. I just need someone to pop in on him every now and then. I was hoping that you guys would do it," she finished, eyes down cast as she removed a piece of imaginary lent.

Billy and Pete stared at Triana as if she had grown a second head.

"Uh…I can see that this was a mistake, I'll just go." She sighed as she started for the door.

"Wait," They jumped up in unision. "It's just a lot to take in." Billy stated. "So let me get this straight, you want us to make sure your dad doesn't go coco for crazy puffs while you're away?"

"That about covers it. So does this mean that you'll do it?" Triana smiled as she glanced from one man to the next.

"Sure," Pete said, "But on one condition."

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_This night was way more interesting that I thought it was gonna be._ Pete White thought as he watched Triana fulfill her 'condition.'

The trio had gotten along really well. Triana went on in detail about her future plans (leaving out the part about her visit with The Master) and Billy and Pete never ceased to amuse her with their antics. Between taking breaks to eat and play the Playstation that they finally got hooked up, Triana was busy recording automated phone messages for Conjectural Technologies.

"…If your call is conserning the Master Billy Quizboy Fan Club, please press seven. If your call is concerning instruction on how to send Pete White fan mail, please press eight. For the instructions to be repeated in Spanish, please press pound…"

It was like music to his ears, Pete decided. This was just what Conjectural Technologies needed. A friendly automated answering system voiced by a pretty girl.

_A very pretty girl._

_It would just be my luck that the first time in forever a pretty girl – heck any girl spends the night and she's off limits._ Pete grimaced at the thought. _Think with your upstairs brain, White. She may be eighteen, but she's a kid._

_A kid with a father that can send you to __**Hell**__. Literally Hell._

_It must be the margaritas talking._

Shaking his head, he wondered where Billy had gotten off to. Looking toward his room, he heard soft snoring. Poor guy must be tired. Though he would never admit it, Pete vauled his friendship with the 'boy' genius. It was easily the longest relationship of his life.

_And this is why you don't drink tequila, White. It makes you sentimental and a horny pervert all in one_…

"Mr. White, I finished with your's and Billy's lists. If that's all, I might as well head home and let you guys get some sleep."

"Please Triana, call me Pete. Mr. White just sounds old. And it's way too ironic," he added good naturedly.

"I wasn't going to point it out if you didn't," said Triana with a laugh.

"And, not that I'm trying to keep you from leaving or anything, but you said so yourself that your father thinks that you're at a friend's house and it's way too late, or early, for you to be out driving. If you want, you can stay here and head out in the morning."

"That's really kind of you, but I wouldn't want to impose…"

"Nonsense. It's not an imposition, but say, why did you tell your father that you were spending the night at a friend's house anyway? Surely you didn't plan on spending the night here from the beginning?"

"I don't know really. I guess that I just wanted plenty of time to talk and, if I had to, convince you guys to help me. Thanks again, for agreeing. I didn't plan on spending the night here, but it was fun. I probably would have just spent the rest of the evening at a club or movie otherwise."

"It's really not a problem. I think that it's really sweet of you to care about your dad so much. I was also wondering, why us? I mean why not the Ventures or the Triad."

"Well, I had given it a lot of thought, and you two were really the only ones who didn't have a vested interested in my father's life. I mean, you and Billy don't have grown men in unitards and spandex beating down your door every other day. I think that I figured that you could care without being involved, or something like that. I hope that made sense."

"Not really, but I see what you're getting at." He glanced at the television and back. "So, do you like 'The Rusty Venture Show'?" And like that the topic was changed.

Settling down on the couch, Triana and Pete spent the rest of the early morning watching and laughing at the adventures of a young Rusty Venture. Sometime in between commercials and the sun rising higher in the sky they drifted off to sleep, cuddle close sharing a blanket and Triana using Pete's shoulder as a pillow, while he had an arm wrapped around her waist holding her close. And that's how Billy found them in the morning. Not sure what to make of the new development in his friend's life, Billy was sure of one thing, if Dr. Orpheus ever found out about last night, he and Pete were so dead.

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Author Note: And that's the end of this one shot. I hope you enjoyed reading. Please feel free to message and/or review if you have any questions and/or comments.


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